Research: Many Latino Kids Face Unhealthy School Environments

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Schools are where kids consume half of their daily calories.

But Latino kids are widely exposed to unhealthy foods at school, and are less likely to engage in physical activity in school than non-Latino white kids, according to a new research review from Salud America!, a national network for Latino childhood obesity prevention funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and based at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Salud America!’s Healthier Schools and Latino Kids research shows that Latino-majority schools tend to: have weaker policies on school snacks and drinks than white-majority schools; may be less likely to implement nutritional guidelines; and offer few programs or access to facilities for physical activity.

Solutions are emerging to create healthier schools:

School policies that reduce access to unhealthy snacks and drinks are likely to reduce Latino students’ consumption of these items at school and positively impact student weight.

Having no sugary drinks in schools was associated with significantly reduced odds of overweight/obesity among Latino middle-school students.

Schools with structured physical activity programs in and after school can boost physical activity in Latino kids. For instance, a study of fifth-graders (39% Latino) found a 115% increase in activity on days with a 30-minute P.E. class, 20-minute lunch recess, and extra 10-minute recess.

Safe Routes to School improvement projects resulted in Latino students reporting significant increases in walking and biking to school.

“Healthy school environments are paramount for the proper development of Latino kids, given the rising percentage of Latino students enrolled in public schools and their high rates of obesity,” said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America!.

Go here to see the full research package!

Salud America! is developing five new research packages: Better Food in the Neighborhood (Dec. 8, 2015); Active Spaces (Jan. 12, 2016); Healthier Schools (Jan. 19 2016); Healthy Weight by Kindergarten (January 2016); and Sugary Drinks (February 2016). Learn more here.